Connecticut western news., 1887-08-17
THE PEERLESS VOLUNTEER.
EASILY BEATING THE FLEET
 FOR THE MORGAN CUP.
She Maydower Finishes Second and
 the Atlantic Third.

MARsLEHEAp, Aug. 6-Nearly all the leis- ure-loving summer residents of Cottage City arose this morning as the sun, like . spent, red-hot ball, shot out of the placid sea and gave lustre to the polished metal on the New York Yacht Clubs unexcelled fleet at anchor in Vineyard Haven. The northeasterly breeze that moderated last night acquired new force as the sun got higher. The sky was as clear as . mirror. The dandy racers were engaged from sunrise until 61i o'clock preparing their They were all attired in the full glory of per fectly fitting duck, yellowed by the sunshine. Before the hour of starting, o'clock, the slanting, sand-fronted bluffs were red, white and blue with folks in vacation costumes. The flagship Electra promptly at o'clock fired the starting gun. That was considered the starting time of each yacht, and every skipper did his level best to be nearest the line, so that he could get the advantage of crossing first. This Is the English way of do- ing the thing, and is termed starting from gun fire. The result was some very pretty man. Uuvring back of the line for favorable posi- tions. The Puritan had calculated to such Q nicety the time of the start that the old cup defenders nose pole was on the line when the gun boomed. That superb white steel clip per, the Volunteer, had not been idle in man. 0uvring. She reached up on the wind on the port tack and crossed the line only thirty sec onds later. Meanwhile the other yachts were growing one another in their ambition to get ahead Accidents seemed imminent several times, but they were luckily avoided by the expertness of their sailing masters.
 Tbe Puritan broke out her little jibtopsail as she crossed the line and the Volunteer shook a large bit of canvas on the lively breeze 8 mo- ment later, and what joyous sight it was to patriotic tars, gilt-edged and otherwise, to watch the slim model get along. She carried, beside her big mainsail, her working topsai, fore staysail jib and jibtopsail She bounded to windward of the Puritan, and few min utes later started sheets and swooped down upon her like hawk on a hen, and passed her with surprising ease. Following the Volun- teer across the line in . perfect swarm that sometimes threatened to become tang.e, came the cutter Stranger, the sloop Oracle, and the flagship of the Eastern Yacht Club, Commodore Weld's schooner Gitana. The Stranger just shaved the flagship. The sloops Cinderella and Atlantic crossed next, and then the schooner Wanderer, the cutter Bedouin, tho sloop Result the old America, and the cut ter Huron. The Mayfower was bclated and crossed five minutes after the Puritan. The schooners Toubadour and resolute, the big iron sloop Priscilla, the schooner Nonkomis and the steel Titania followed in the order named. The Ttania had barely room enough to squeeze between tho Nonkonis and the flagship. The Titania's skipper did not wish to get to lee ward of the big two-sticker and be blanketed Titania were the schooners Iroquois and Eachem, the cutter Clara, the schooner Magic, the sloop Pocahontas, that colossal and gor- geous two-sticker, the Norseman, the schooner Varuna, the cutter Uhdia, and the schooners Mohican, Republic and Phantom, 7:l2l3.
 The wind increased as the yachts went on, and the sea grew . tri1e lumpy. The smaller craft soon found that there was too much air stirring for jibtopsails, and they were hauled down. All the big boats chung to theirs. It ko h.. <,f big boats. The Puritan was handled as we'll as the veteran Capt. Aubrey Checker knew how to handle her, but the dear old craft hadn't it in her to successfully wrestle against the Vol unteer in that breeze. The Puritan's lee rail was frequently awash, and spray broke over her bow, but the steel yacht stood up like . tower, . leaning one, and cleared the water with IS little commotion as . sword fish. The owners on both boats were having them sailed in the friendiest but most sincere rivalry for all they were worth.
 At o'clock the five giant sloops were lead- ing the fleet. The Volunteer was half . mile ahead of the Puritan. The Atlantic came next closely hunted by the Priscilla, which was do~ ing surprisingly good work. The Wanderer vas then the leading schooner. The old Amer ica was close to her, and the Palmer not far behind. But the Sachem was gaining on all tho two-masted leaders in . way that showed she would soon overtake and pass them.
 The Volunteer pcssed Cross Rip Lighthouse st 8. 20. The wind was nearly dead ahead now and the steel clipper took in her jibtopsail She was just about mile ahead of the Puri- tan, and showed her great superiority in dead to windward work. She rode the sea like & big swan. From the Handkerchief to Shovel ful lighthouse the tide was fair. The brisk wind had moderated to 8 gentle breeze, and it coon became evident that even the phenome- nal Volunteer could not cover the 126-mile course until early tomorrow morning. unless favored by free wind. She passed Shovel ful Light at 10.2O.
 HIGHLAND LIGHT, Aug. S-Midnight.-A came oil the land from the southwest at To- 30 and the racers improved it by hugging the shore. The moon rose at 9.SO, casting 8 long line of golden light over the smooth water o1 the ocean, forming an excellent crossing line for the white-winged yachts, and as one after another bust into the full sweep of the moon crossed it and faded in the darker space be yond, they presented picture of remarkable beauty. From the direction of the wind, they were able to run with free sheets. The Volun tcer was the first to cross the moon blade, al 11.30, moving with about four-knot breeze She was leading the fleet by more than two miles.
 MARBIkHEAD, Mass, Aug. 9.-The- sloop yacht Volunteer wins the Morgan cup. She crossed the finish line this morning at 7:42:1 3 eight miles ahead of the others in her class.
 There was hardly wind enough all night t(
 
 on shore when the steel sloop crossed the finisl line was very great. The sloop Mayhower ant the schooners Bedouin and Sachem were sev egal miles to lecward of Halfway Rock. Tn report that the Puritan had carried away he topmasts was confirmed by the officers of tn, Volunteer.
 From the start at Vineyard Haven nearly ul to Pollock Grip Lightship the race, accordin; to the Volunteers report, was hne one. Sh lod the fleet by at least three miles over Nan Al ~EoxO ,ls T1ora ,. o'clock in the evening, and anchor was let oi Nauaet. Here she rolled three hours and hAR on the eastward swell. breeze from tn southwest arose at 9:3O, and she weighed ar chor and danced along before it. AS she "a along toward the Highlands of the cape tn wind freshened somewhat, and held brett, steadily till 3 o'clock, when it fell calm, an there was another drift. This continued fo about hour when the wind came of tn shore again, this time from the northwest There it blew strong for about an hour and half, and the fleet astern seemed to be gainin some on their leader. More calms and ligt breezes followed as the Volunteer made ht way across the bay.
 A group of racers followed the Burgess ma. terpiece in. The Mayhower led them in. I'll wind had shifted to the southeast, and was c her quarter. She crossed the line at 10:01:2 to the tune of many whistles, and anchored i the harbor just astern of the Volunteer.
 The Priscilla followed her at 10:22:18, an the schooner Sachem at 10:40:04, with the Prit of Bay Ridge only 41 seconds behind. TT Puritan did not finish. She carried away h, topmast of Chatham. The topmast stay Wi eoo taut, and the topsail buckled and W; broken in the jumps of . sea.
 Gen. Paine and MT. Burgess told the repor CTS that they were entirely satisfied with tf yachts performance. Gen. Paine said: ssTf Volunteer, SO far, has more than come up my expectations. As far as she has been testt we do not find . weak spot in her. nor anyth;T 10 indicate that she is not just right. Her sai are getting nicely stretched, and set very we'll
 AN ENGINEERS TESTIMONY. He Says the Chatsworth Disaste
 was Not Inccndiaries' Work.
 CHICAGO, Aug. A.-J. o. Baker, Presidel of the Illinois Society of Engineers and Pr